(Wines&Vines) - Major cork suppliers invest in new technology to catch contaminated corks 

At one of Silver Oak Cellars' release-day parties in 2008, the winery had dug out a 6-liter bottle of Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from its library.

 In front of an expectant crowd of Silver Oak fans, a winery staffer pulled the thick cork from the neck of the oversized bottle, and the smell of disappointed anticipation was overpowering.

 "We pulled a really corked cork, it stank of TCA to the high heavens, in front of literally dozens of people," recalled associate winemaker Christiane Schleussner. "It was highly embarrassing."

 Word got back to ownership, which quickly sent word back down the production chain to ensure that every large-format bottle was sealed with a clean cork. The task fell on Schleussner to figure out how to do it. 

She got in touch with a cork-quality scientist in Portugal who directed her to a researcher in her native Germany. The two corresponded on a potential method to analyze corks for any flaws without destroying the corks. That initial correspondence led to a collaboration, and the two eventually published two academic papers on what would become known as the "dry soak" method of analysis.